Well I'm an old newbie looking for ideas on a 53 Chevy build. I've always been a car guy due to my pops telling me about his 47 Chevy but most of my cars have been newer muscle cars. I've had a spotless 70 SS 454 Chevelle and some F bodies currently have an 87 Grand National. I have gone to the GS Nationals for years and my favorite car isn't shiney and restored. It was a 10 second 68 Skylark with faded light blue paint and tow hooks on the front bumper to haul it to the track. I loved this car and it was way before rat rods were cool. I love beaters and if they are fast all the better. So I was thinking about building a 50's car and I suddenly remembered my step dad still has his first car a 1953 Chevy 4 door sitting in a field at my uncles house. I asked him if I could build it and he was all for it. So I'm here looking for ideas on how to buld this car. I want it to have a certain look but at the same time I want it to have my look. I want to build a small block with a manual trans and have a car I can teach the kids to drag race and still have it driveable to make some cruises etc. I want it to resemble that 68 as much asI can. Dull paint and a drag racing look. I don't want to make it a gasser. I never really liked that style...don't get me wrong they are cool and all they just aren't me. If anyone is working or has worked on a similar car or have any pointers I'm all ears. I wrench on cars but have never really done restoration work. So this will all be new to me. Sorry if I rambled on here and I hope to share some ideas. PS I see you have an annual drag race. That looks like fun!! Thanks Chris
Thanks for the welcome everyone. 416Ford I'm in Eaton Rapids near Lansing. I do have a question as a newbie. I plan on building this car keeping the original paint and leaving it rough. Is the term rat rod a no no these days? If so what would you call the style build I'm thinking of...I don't want to be shunned
Welcome Aboard. Good solid questions and desire to build will get you a long way here. Your gonna be fine, sounds like a great project.
Yes and shunned would be good compared to what they will do. Sound like you building a resto rod to me and keeping a patina paint job on it. I own a str**trod and a muscle car so I am shunned also. But I am here to learn and so when I build my traditional truck I can do it right the first time.
welcome aboard. get lots of books and talk to all the "old timers". hit lots of different shows. every show gets you more ideas. i have been collecting car books for the last 5 years. its amazing the references you find for other ideas. my dad has an old stash of rod and custom magazines, hot rod, car craft, street rodder, etc. going way back into the 60's. cool to look thru for period correct builds. good luck. pm me for some book references. slik
Okay resto rod it is....thanks saves me getting in trouble lol I found an Explorer rear end which seems like for me would be a good set up. I guess they are off set a bit but I like the fact it's an 8.8 with 30 or 31 spline axles, Mustang guys run really fast on the 8.8. I plan on racing this car so that sounds better than an S10 axle. I think the bolt pattern is different 4.5 so I may have to run different front and rear wheels....I plan on steelies so I think they will look the same any ideas or warnings about the Explorer axle? This one has drums.
You have a PM I need all the help I can get. Fortunately I manage a service garage so there are a handful of guys that weld and fabricate that work for me. I will be asking them to train me on the metal working stuff. I haven't had a chance to see what kind of shape the frame and floorboards are in but I'm sure sitting in a Michigan field it could be ugly.
Well that's a problem. I just thought about doing this a week ago and got the okay from my step dad to build the car. It's in a field on the other side of Lansing and I need to dig it out. He was going to send me a recent photo he had but he forgot to send it.... bummer. I may run over tomorrow and take some pics and check out how bad it really is. I'm worried it may be worse than I think. The suspense is killing me lol.
I was thinking of going over to my uncle's house and sneaking a few shots but it's raining and I'm sure I would never make it out to where the car is in my truck. Too muddy and I bet my boots wouldn't make it there and back ifI walked haha. I'll have to wait for the ground to freeze up which by the sounds of the forecast will be tomorrow....Michigan I wish it would just stay cold 38 wet and grey is fugly.
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